Merkur 34c to Parker Variant or GC 84

R

Rapid

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Hi All,

I've been DE shaving for several years now with my beloved Merkur 34c. It's a great razor as I'm sure you all know and I find it provides me with very smooth and forgiving shaves. However....I've never felt that it gives me a super close shave anywhere near BBS territory. Don't get me wrong, my technique is far from perfect but I still feel like it's a mild razor.

Anyway, I figure it's time for a new toy regardless of this and I've been thinking an adjustable would be a good idea. I've heard good things about the Parker Variant and wondered if you feel like this would be a good step?

What I'm after is something that can be forgiving but also that bit more aggressive than the 34C - and just provide a great shave! I shave on average once a week so it would help in that regard too i.e. 1st pass on higher setting. I know I could go down the OC route but I started with the Merkur 1904 and never really liked it. The 34C just feels a much better weight and so much smoother so as soon as I tried that I've not used the 1904 since.

I know there are other alternatives like Rockwell but the Variant seems to be good value and it's spot on my budget. The alternative that I've considered in the Gamechanger 84 based on the awesome feedback it gets. I know it's not adjustable but it sounds like the kind of balance I'm looking for. It's more expensive of course but I'd push the boat out if it really is that good and in your opinion, the right choice for me.

Thanks in advance
 
From my experience I would look beyond the GC84 and consider a Karve before it. A smooth operator if ever for the price. Personally I find Razorrocks slightly crude in build quality/finish and it can be felt in the shave. Maybe the Hawk SE being an exception, but that opens a whole new world beyond DE razors

If budget can stretch a bit more I couldn't recommend the Tatara razors highly enough. Super smooth and super effective. In my opinion probably one of the best around.

And if you don't mind damn right aggressive but in a controllable manner the Ikon B1 is almost a must in my books. If you can find one being the hard bit.

Just a few pennies worth
 
I can’t answer the parker question but i can say the
Ikon B1 is first class.
i have it with the OSS head which is OC & CC on the other side with the Bulldog handle.
it terms of adjustable i really rate the
Merkur Progress.
It goes from Mild to Aggressive and everything else in between with the quick turn of a knob.
Again i agree with the Karve Christopher Bradley and my preference on this would be the cheaper Aluminium version
 
Satanfriendly said:
From my experience I would look beyond the GC84 and consider a Karve before it. A smooth operator if ever for the price. Personally I find Razorrocks slightly crude in build quality/finish and it can be felt in the shave. Maybe the Hawk SE being an exception, but that opens a whole new world beyond DE razors

If budget can stretch a bit more I couldn't recommend the Tatara razors highly enough. Super smooth and super effective. In my opinion probably one of the best around.

And if you don't mind damn right aggressive but in a controllable manner the Ikon B1 is almost a must in my books. If you can find one being the hard bit.

Just a few pennies worth
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. The Karve is seemingly out of stock everywhere in the UK, so much so I can't even make it out's price ~$200? Similar story with the Tatara and looks like it's coming in around ~$170. This is quite a way apart from the budget I was looking at tbh. The Variant is around £40, GC around £85 I think.

I'm definitely not looking at all out aggressiveness so don't fancy the sound of the Ikon!

Mike - the Variant is supposedly a better version of the progress (with a non slip handle)
 
I have the Parker and it is a great little razor. It's design is similar to the Merkur Progress and I prefer it to the progress. Another razor which has not yet been mentioned but is very good is only a little more expensive than the parker but has better build quality....the Pearl Flexi. It's heavier than the Parker but better balanced and is coated solid brass
 
culcreuch said:
I have the Parker and it is a great little razor. It's design is similar to the Merkur Progress and I prefer it to the progress. Another razor which has not yet been mentioned but is very good is only a little more expensive than the parker but has better build quality....the Pearl Flexi. It's heavier than the Parker but better balanced and is coated solid brass
Click to expand...
This is very helpful info. I'll certainly look into it, thanks.
 
I shaved for a long time with a Merkur 20c, which has the same closed comb head as the 34c and many other Merkur razors.

As you say, it gives a reliable smooth shave every time, but leaves you wishing sometimes for that super close shave.

I switched in Feb this year to using a Merkur Progress 510 long handle and, although its heavier and bulkier, I have really grown to love it for its flexibility.

I can set it to 2 to get a shave similar to the 20c or open it up to 3 for a really close shave and sometimes beyond 3 for heavier growth or if trying for that really, really close BBS shave.

I can also turn it down to 1 for an early evening tidy-up shave if i need to. At that setting, its nearly as safe and mild as a cartridge razor (nearly !)

Once you get used to the slightly larger head and increased weight, its a fantastic "shaving machine" which just covers all the bases IMO.
 
I’ve worked my way through a number of these razors -

1) Rockwell 6c was my first, lovely razor - was great to work out how aggressive a razor I preferred. Ended up using the 3 plate most of the time.

2) moved on to Karve CB which is excellent I vary between the SB-B and C plate but also have an OC-C if I’ve got more than a few days growth.

3) picked up a Gamechanger and it was similar to the karve for me when using the 0.68 and a bit too aggressive with the 0.84 for me.

4) Tatara Muramasa - lovely smooth razor, great design too, seems very efficient even on lower settings.

5) Parker variant - to be fair I probably didn’t give this a go for long enough but the head seemed a bit too bulky for me and I couldn’t get the setting right for me either too mild or too aggressive. Lots of people do rate it though.

Overall the Rockwell or Karve CB seems like a more natural step to me but depends also on whether you’re ok with swapping plates. (Particularly if you like to reduce the aggression for ATG which lots of people do)

If money is no object the muramasa is great IMHO.
 
I have found the Progress isn't quite as linear as i had first expected. An incremental change of a quarter stop can make quite a difference in the middle zone of 1.5 to 3. The shave angle is a little different to other razors too.

Once you find settings that work its just really efficient and smooth.

After i have finished the shave, i turn it down to Zero and can safely use if for tidying stuff like right under the nose or corner of mouth if i hold it upside down to get around the bulky head.
 
Great feedback guys, all very helpful.

@Borygmi it's been great that you've been able to sum up all of those different options with your experience. Have you ever had a Pearl Flexi? As that's looking very impressive from what I've looked at. It may well be the front runner at the moment.

The Tatara is definitely out of budget unfortunately and I think I'd rather go for something without the plate swaps if I can find a viable alternative.
 
Rapid said:
Great feedback guys, all very helpful.

@Borygmi it's been great that you've been able to sum up all of those different options with your experience. Have you ever had a Pearl Flexi? As that's looking very impressive from what I've looked at. It may well be the front runner at the moment.

The Tatara is definitely out of budget unfortunately and I think I'd rather go for something without the plate swaps if I can find a viable alternative.
Click to expand...

Afraid not - I got the Tatara and didn’t really feel the need to explorer adjustables any more!
 
I thought I'd update the thread. Having considered the very useful suggestions by everyone I decided to go with a Pearl Flexi and a Rockwell 6C. I found great price on them so I thought I may as well give both a go.

Thanks very much to everyone for their help. I'll report back in several months!
 
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